ABE Transport: From West Africa to Quad Cities, Truck Driver Makes a New Life
Story and Photos by Jonathan Turner
Loan Product: Small Business Loan
Loan Product: Small Business Loan
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Yendoupabe Tindan has come so far to make a new life. His journey as a business owner is a testament to perseverance, ambition, and the power of community support. His entrepreneurial success was made possible, in part, by the support of Bridge Investment Community Development Corporation.
After moving to the United States from Togo in 2019, when he was 28, Tindan sought opportunities to build a better life. He initially settled in Moline, Illinois and traveled to work at Tyson Foods as a forklift driver for two years. His previous experience as a truck driver in Togo, working for his father’s business, laid the foundation for his aspiration to launch his own company. After meeting his wife, who worked at the Amazon plant in Davenport, Iowa, Tindan moved to Iowa, where he continued to work towards his dream. “I wanted to live in Iowa,” he said, noting he first moved to Moline for a better life. “When I meet my wife, she lived in Davenport and worked in Davenport.” Tindan’s journey began with the acquisition of his own semi-truck and launched his trucking company, ABE Transport, in 2023, naming the company after himself, using the first letter of his middle name (Augustin), his wife (Bene), and their daughter (Emmanuelle). He was able to finance the truck through a traditional lending institution, but he needed working capital to sustain his growing business. . Tindan sought out Bridge Investment Community Development Corporation based on the recommendation of his financial institution, BankORION, which is also a member of Bridge Investment. Tindan met with Bridge loan officer Frank Perez, and explained his need for a working capital loan to support him during his startup phase. Recognizing Yendoupabe's needs and the importance trucking plays in the supply chain, Perez recommended that he apply for Bridge Investment’s Microloan Program in fall 2023. “This loan helped me a lot, to start in this business,” he said. “The bank recommended this Bridge Investment, and they give me a chance to really achieve what I like to do. I thank God because I already paid it off.” The Bridge loan enabled him to purchase the truck trailer. Tindan parks his truck at the Flying J truck stop in Davenport, Iowa on Northwest Boulevard. He first drove a truck for John Deere, making deliveries to and from Chicago. Now operating nationwide, ABE Transport hauls goods for Dsons LLC, mainly delivering goods for grocery stores all over the country. “I go to New York, Colorado, Michigan, Wisconsin, Ohio, Indiana – anywhere,” he said. He tries to get back home every weekend to see his wife and daughter. With his first loan fully repaid, Tindan continues to plan for the future. “If you work for yourself, you have to think how to make more money and spend less,” Tindan said. “You have to take care of your truck and trailer.” He hopes to expand ABE Transport by purchasing a second truck, further growing his business and creating new opportunities for himself and others in the trucking industry. “I can go where I want to go, and when,” he said of setting his own schedule. That all said, Tindan isn’t stopping his dream at trucking, as he has a goal to earn enough money to go to engineering school. “I want to one day have a company like John Deere,” Tindan said, capitalizing on his geography studies in Togo. Bridge Investment’s role was a key driver in Tindan’s initial success, filling a gap where the traditional lending institution couldn’t. His story exemplifies the vital role CDFIs play in helping small businesses with the support needed to steer his business towards success and independence, furthering our mission assisting small businesses owned by underrepresented entrepreneurs. |